|
Dong Nai to grow cashews in Cambodia
Vietnam’s southern province of Dong Nai has signed an agreement to grow 2,000 hectares of cashew trees in the Cambodian provinces of Kampong Cham and Kampong Thom.
When the trees begin to bear fruit, cashew producers and processing companies in Dong Nai province, including the Dong Nai Export Processing Agriculture Product Company (Donafoods), will set up processing plants in Kampong Thom province, according to Dang Hoang Giang, the General Secretary of the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas).
The firms will also support farmers in the two Cambodian provinces with seedlings, cashew processing, cultivating techniques and will encourage farmers to expand the acreage of their crops.
Vinacas plans to substantially increase cashew growing areas in the two provinces over the next five years, said Giang.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam has overtaken India to become the world’s top cashew exporter with the value of its exports reaching 504 million USD in 2006, 651 million USD in 2007 and 850 million USD in 2009.
In the first quarter of this year, the country exported 28,000 tonnes of cashew nuts worth 143 million USD, down 10 percent in volume but up 6.4 percent in value. It expects to earn 1 billion USD from the nuts this year.
Currently, 24 markets worldwide, including the US, China and Holland purchase Vietnamese cashew nuts.
vietnamplus
|
